Positive vent for engines



Jan. 2, 1951 w, MOHNEY 2,536,552

POSITIVE VENT FOR ENGINES Filed Feb. 10, 1947 INVENTOR. 5 C. W. MOHNEY ATTQRNEYS Patented Jan. 2, 1951 POSITIVE VENT FOR ENGINES Charles William Mohney, Oklahoma City, Okla.,

assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation of Delaware Application February 10, 1947, Serial No. 727,613 Claims. (01. 123-90) My invention relates to improvements in removing hot gases and moisture from internal combustion engines. In a more specific aspect, it relates to a method for removing hot gases and moisture from around the valve assembly of such an engine.

It long has been a problem in the automotive industry to prevent gumming and corrosion of the parts within the valve assembly. The most commonly accepted methods of clearing gases from an engine have been to fit a breather to the oil fill cap, perforate the valve cover case, and/or install an outlet tube in the crankcase. These methods have many disadvantages. One such disadvantage is that cold air is drawn into the motor across the relatively warm valve assembly.

At the same time, hot engine gases comprising in part volatile acids resulting from oxidation of the lubricating oil rise from the valve assembly and crankcase, are met by the cool air stream and either condense or are dissolved in condensed moisture causing corrosion of the metal surfaces. A further disadvantage is that miscellaneous volatile materials formed by cracking or oxidation of fuel and oil products form varnish and sludge deposits on the valve assembly and valve chamber walls.

An object of my invention is to provide a device for removing gases and moisture from valve assembly chambers of internal combustion engines.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device for removing condensed liquid resulting from vapors drawn from a Valve assembly chamber.

A further object of my invention is to provide a positive vent for hot engine gases and moisture which is simple and economical in construction and efficient in operation.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a means for decreasing the corrosion, rusting and gumming of metal parts of internal combustion engines. 7

Other and further objects will be apparent from the accompanying description and discussion.

Figure 1 is a plan view of an internal combustion engine such as is used in an automobile showing a positive hot gas and moisture vent and embodying my invention as applied to such an engine.

Figure 2 shows a preferred embodiment of my invention in cross section taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation partly in cross section embodying a modification of my invention.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a side diagrammatic elevation showing a modification of a device embodying the present invention.

Figure 6 shows another modification of my invention in cross section.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary end elevation of the structure shown in Figure 6.

In Figure 1 of the drawing, an internal combustion engine it is shown with a valve cover case M having a forwardly inclined vent tube 52 communicating with the valve cover case through apertures [3 in the sides of the vent. Attached to engine I!) by means of rigid memher it is an aspirator l5 which is positioned so that the large part of the aspirator fits over the vent tube. A fan [6 having fan blades I1 is mounted in front of engine Ill so it can throw a stream of air around the engine. Aspirator I5 is so positioned that it will catch a portion of the air stream in its large forward bell. Air is then forced through the conduit therein and past the end of the vent tube. Fan i6 is powered by a source which, for the sake of simplicity, is not shown but which power may be transmitted to the fan by means of belt drive pulley [8 which is attached to the fan. This fan may be the conventional fan used to aid in cooling ,an engme.

Figure 5 shows one modification embodying my invention wherein an internal combustion engine H has a valve cover case H with a rearwardly inclined vent tube l2" communicating therewith. Exhaust chamber l9 communicates with the exhaust chambers of engine I 0 and muffler 2| through exhaust pipe 20 which in turn communicates with vent I2".

Figure 6 shows another modification embodying my invention wherein an internal combustion engine to has a valve cover case II with forwardly inclined vent tubes I 2" in its sides. These vents have a longitudinal opening I3" along the top thereof. Separate aspirators l5 are provided for each vent. I

Operation At the same time, gases resulting from oxidized lubricants are formed. These gases and vapors rising from the crankcase and lubricated parts pass into valve cover case H enclosing the valve assembly. The valve cover case is generally made of a relatively thin metal and is substantially cooled by outside atmosphere, making condensation therein almost inevitable unless gases and moisture are rapidly removed.

At the same time that engine it begins operation, fan [6 which is propelled by the engine causes fan blades H to throw a stream of air back over the engine. A portion of the air stream passes through aspirator IS in such a'manner that the portion of air is caused to pass from the large end of the aspirator past the end of vent tube l2 and through the more constricted .end of the aspirator. A partial vacuum is placed on the vent tube by this procedure with the'result that gases and vapors rising in the valve cover case-are, rapidly pulled into vent l2 through apertures I 3 and are carried by means of said ventto a point outside of the engine. Apertures I 3 in the preferred embodiment of my invention are arranged in the sides of vent l2 in such a position that as some of the gases and vapors passing through the vent are condensed, the liquid will be carried 'by gravity and vacuum along the trough bottom of vent i2 and will be discharged outside of the engine.

A modification of this arrangement of apertures I3xmay be used as shown in Figure 3 of the drawing. In this modification. apertures l3 are hollow stems extending upwardly from the bottom of vent i2 and are of suificient length that as moisture is condensed in said vent the liquid will flow past the hollow stems without dropping there-through and will be discharged outside said engine. The gases and vapors are thus removed before they have a chance to condense or deposit.

Another modification of my invention is shown in Figure 5. In that modification, the engine exhaust replaces aspirator 55 used in Figure 1, as a means for placinga partial vacuum on the vent. Vent l2" communicates with valve cover case II and with exhaust pipe 20 in such manner that, as exhaust gases sweep in their normal direction of fiow, they sweep past the end of vent 32" so that a partial vacuum is created in the vent. The hot gases and moisture are thus rapidly removed from the valve cover case and are removed as gases and condensate through the exhaust pipe. A preferred construction of this modification communicates the vent and exhaust pipe on the downstream side of the mufller.

A further modification of my invention is shown in Figures 6 and 7. In a few instances, some vapors will condense on the valve cover case before they can be drawn therefrom. In this modification, gases are drawn from the valve cover caseas discussed in the description of Figure 1. The additional feature is that the condensed liquid will run off the top of the valve cover case and into the vents on the sides of the valve cover case and will be carried outside of the engine.

My invention may be used in conjunction with either a perforated valve cOVer case or with an air-tight case. Should a perforated case be used the perforations may be on the sides of the case or at the end farthest from the point where the vent leaves the case. In any event, it is desired that the. air pulled in should sweep the case as it is propelled into the vent tube.

- Use of an air-tight valve cover case is preferred, for even with my invention applied thereto, the objections to cold air entering said chamher, as pointed out above, are still not complete- 1y eliminated. If an air-tight case is used, air will come from an air inlet in the crankcase. As discussed above, it is common to the industry to pull air into the crankcase through a breather in the oil'illl capsand to allow it to pass out through an'outlet tube in the crankcase. My invention, as used with an air-tight cover and in conjunction with known methods of crankcase ventilation, has very distinct advantages. One advantage is that detrimental vapors are rapidly and .positivelyremovedfrom the vital valve assembly before they deposit or condense. Most of the vapors which will condense will have already been pulled into the vent tube and will be carried along the bottom of the tube and out of the engine asliquid. This invention also greatly increases the efliciency of vapor removal from said engine "by making available a second exhaust meanstherefor. It is contemplated that my invention can be used without another exhaust means inthe ventilation of the crankcase.

.An advantage which myinvention has over the commonly used methods of ventilation is that the exhaust of gases and vapors is nearly as efficient when the caris standing still as when the car is moving.

For those skilled in the art, it will be obvious that many alterations and variations in the construction of this device may be made without change intheprinciples and scope of my invention.

Having described my invention, I claim: I

1. A positive hot gas and moisture exhausting vent for an internal combustion engine having an air-tight valve cover case and a power driven fan, comprising in combination an aspirator being so positioned that a conduit through said aspirator is substantially perpendicular to the plane of said fan and in the direct path of the air stream produced by said fan and a large end opening of said aspirator pointing countercurrent to said air stream; a tube forwardly inclined in the top of said cover case; a plurality of gaseous material inlets spaced along the sides of said tube communicating with said cover case interior, said tube extending from said case and protruding axially intosaid conduit in said aspirator, whereby the air stream produced by said fan sweeps through the aspirator and past the end of said tube creating-a'partial vacuum in said tube which in turn draws hot gases and vapors rapidly from the valve cover case into the tube and said gases and liquid condensed in the tube are carried from the engine.

2. A positive hot gas and moisture exhausting vent for aniinternal combustion engine having a valve cover case, comprising a vent tube in the top of said cover case downwardly inclined toward its outlet and extending substantially the length of said cover case; a plurality of gaseous material inlets spaced along the length of said venttube; and aspirato means connected to the outlet end of said vent tube, whereby a vacuum isplacedon said vent tube and said valve cover case.

3. The vent to claim 2, wherein said gaseous material inlets are hollow raised stems extending above-the inner surface thereof.

4. The vent of claim 2, wherein said gaseous material inletsare apertures in the sides of said venttube.

7 5. The vent of claim 2, wherein said gaseous material inlets are hollow raised stems extending upwardly through the bottom of said vent tube, whereby condensed liquid is allowed to flow around said stems and alongthe bottom of said 5 vent tube.

CHARLES WILLIAM MOHNEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Smith Oct. 1, 1918 Du Pont Feb. 28, 1922 Hosterman Feb. 14, 1928 Kraker Sept. 9, 1947 

